


There's a Good Explanation for This

by 324b2fun



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: F/F, charlie is a gay mess, never trust sara's dating advice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 08:11:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17158415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/324b2fun/pseuds/324b2fun
Summary: ‘you found me hanging by my fingertips from your window and i don’t want to tell you i was trying to rob you but idk how else to explain this and i don’t want to go to jail and also you’re kind of cute we should make out when i’m not clinging onto your window ledge for my life’ au





	There's a Good Explanation for This

**Author's Note:**

> happy beebo day!

It’s well past midnight when Zari gets home, so when she hears something hit her fifth story window, she screams. It’s basically the scream you’d hear before the pretty woman dies in a horror film, except Zari doesn’t get killed. Instead, she stumbles into her kitchen table and knocks her hip against its sharp corner.

 

Zari rubs at her hip as she curses under her breath. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think the sound was Sara. This is the exact kind of bullshit Sara would pull on Zari, and she’d be able to get to Zari’s fifth floor window because the woman has arms like a god. It’s kind of unfair how strong Sara is, but then Zari remembers she actually goes to (and owns) the gym and concedes that she’s fine with her noodle arms as they are. 

 

So, it should be Sara knocking on Zari’s window at nearly one in the morning on a Saturday night, except Zari just left Sara’s apartment after having game night with all of their friends. There’s also no way Sara followed after her for shits and giggles because Ava was there, and Sara wouldn’t leave her hot girlfriend just to scare Zari. 

 

This means that something, or  _ someone _ , is at Zari’s window. 

 

It’s a sobering thought, one that has Zari going into her kitchen to grab a knife. With a weapon clutched in one hand, Zari inches over to her window carefully. As she gets closer, she holds her breath, only to release it immediately. There’s just empty space. Zari frowns and steps closer. Still nothing. 

 

Just to make sure, Zari opens up her widow and pokes her head out to check. Then, she hears something. Zari looks down and screams again for the second time tonight. Her so-called weapon clatters to the ground as Zari stares incredulously at the young woman hanging from the ledge of her window. 

 

“Can I help you?” Zari asks sarcastically, automatically on the defense as she puts a hand to her racing heart. 

 

The woman grins, and it’s a charming grin at that, and if Zari hadn’t just found this woman hanging from her window, she might’ve found it endearing. Maybe she’s still finding it a little endearing despite the circumstances. 

 

“I’ve got a really good explanation.”

 

Zari raises an eyebrow. She can’t wait to hear this. “Yeah? So, why are you two seconds from falling to death from my apartment window?”

 

The woman’s smile falters. Instead of answering, she says, “We should introduce ourselves. I’m Charlie.”

 

“Hi, Charlie,” Zari smiles sardonically. “Why are you at my window?”

 

“I don’t get your name, gorgeous?” Charlie replies, flashing that charming grin once more.

 

And no, Zari does  _ not _ blush as she sputters a reply, “No, because you’re the weirdo hanging outside my fifth floor apartment!”

 

“Right,” Charlie nods, like she forgot or something. She adjusts her grip, and that’s when Zari notices that her knuckles are white from holding on. “I don’t actually have a good explanation for this,” Charlie tells her. “I was just going to take a look around your apartment, but then you came home.”

 

“Take a look around my apartment?” Zari repeats. “Like, to  _ steal _ ?” Her voice pitches upward on the last word, but Zari really can’t believe she caught her potential robber. 

 

“Don’t take it personally, love,” Charlie says. “I just go where I’m told by some friends of mine in hopes of finding something decent to pawn off.”

 

Righteous fury boils in Zari as she threatens, “I should call the police on you!”

 

“Let’s not be hasty,” Charlie says immediately, looking panicked for the first time since Zari’s found her. She adjusts her grip once more, fingers cramped and arms shaking. “I don’t really fancy spending the night in a cell when instead I could be in your bed.”

 

Zari’s all-consuming anger shrinks back down into a simple doneness of where her night has gone. “You’re flirting with me,” Zari says flatly, “when I found you on my window ledge about to rob me.” She rolls her eyes and takes a step back. “You sure are something.”

 

“Something you aren’t going to call the police on, right?” Charlie asks with that damn grin. She seems to notice Zari’s focus on her lips because the grin turns into a dirty smirk. “I promise to pay you in very talented kisses.”

 

Zari flushes from head to toe, but like hell is she going to let Charlie have the last word. She looks past Charlie and makes note of the empty sidewalks and something else. Clearing her throat, she steps back close to the window.

 

“You know what, Charlie,” Zari says, lowering her voice and looking at her through her eyelashes. It’s a trick Sara showed her; apparently it’s like sixty percent of the reason women would sleep with her before she started dating Ava. Zari leans in close, leaving just a few inches between her and Charlie’s voice. “I do have an idea,” Zari murmurs.

 

Charlie is the one blushing now, and it’s clear that if she weren’t hanging from a window ledge, she would’ve moved back. “What idea is that, love?” Charlie asks, voice matching Zari’s tone.

 

Zari’s lips curl into a devilish smile. The coy seduction disappears, and she says matter-of-factly, “This.” 

 

She pushes Charlie off her window ledge. Charlie’s jaw drops, immediate horror crossing her pretty features. Her tired hands and arms can’t handle the force, so she has no choice but to let go, falling the several stories. Zari would be worried she just killed the woman, except she knew Charlie had been hanging over the apartment’s collective trash bin that had been conveniently left open.

 

Zari hears her body collide with the trash below, followed by a pained groan. She sticks her head out the window to check on Charlie and laughs when Charlie glares back up at her.

 

“Good night, Charlie!” Zari calls down with a wide grin.

 

Charlie seems to know when she’s beat because she sighs and calls back, “Good night, gorgeous!”

 

The next morning Zari goes out to meet Ray and Nora for breakfast. She tells them about her wannabe robber, and predictably, Ray panics and tells her he’ll be by later to install some new security while Nora nearly chokes on her coffee in between laughs. It’s good to see them, a bit of normalcy after all the weirdness from last night, so Zari agrees to let Ray and Nora stop by for dinner for a new security system, courtesy of Palmer Tech. 

 

When Zari gets home from breakfast, there’s someone waiting for her.

 

“Charlie?” Zari asks, dumbfounded.

 

“Hello, gorgeous,” Charlie replies, hands tucked into her jean pockets with a shy smile on her face. She’s holding a bouquet of flowers that look like they’ve seen better days, but Zari is charmed nonetheless. “An apology,” Charlie explains, holding out the flowers, “for almost robbing the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen.”

 

“Thank you,” Zari says. She takes the flowers with a small laugh and leans down to sniff them. She wrinkles her nose because, yep, she still doesn’t really like the smell of them. “Thank you,” she repeats nonetheless. She looks back up at Charlie with a shy smile of her own and tells her pointedly, “I don’t date thieves.”

 

Charlie laughs, and it’s a wonderful sound, then says, “Don’t worry. It’s just a hobby, and one I’m definitely willing to give up if it means actually getting to see the inside of your apartment, for non-robbing purposes.”

 

“Yeah?” Zari says, a pleased grin threatening to take over her face.

 

“Yeah,” Charlie nods, “Mick can find someone else.” She steps closer and says, “Let me take you on a date. Prove that I’m not some weirdo robber who hangs from pretty woman's windows.”

 

“And who are you exactly?” Zari counters.

 

Charlie ducks her head and says, “Sara Lance’s new worker at the gym.”

 

“Oh my god, you aren’t some stranger!” Zari yells. She punches Charlie roughly on the shoulder and says, “You’re such an ass!”

 

“Sara’s mentioned you a bunch and texted me last night that I should meet you!” Charlie defends herself. “She didn’t tell me that she didn’t tell you!”

 

“So, you what, lied about being a robber to save face?” Zari can’t help but be mortified and also want to laugh. 

 

“Chicks dig a bad girl! ” Charlie insists. “Also what was I supposed to do? You clearly had no idea who I was.” Suddenly, she doesn’t seem like the rebellious devil who robs people for fun, but just another woman who’s just as intriguing to Zari. Charlie rubs the back of her back and says, “I should go.”

 

“Wait,” Zari says, catching her sleeve. She waits until Charlie’s looking at her before she asks, “Why the window? I literally have a front door that you clearly know exists.”

 

Charlie blushes darker than Zari has ever seen as she mumbles, “Sara said you appreciate toned arms, and that it would make a cool story and lasting impression.”

 

Unable to help herself anymore, Zari bursts into laughter. She clutches at her stomach and can’t help but giggle at how ridiculous this whole situation is. “Okay, for future reference,” Zari says in between her laughs, “never trust Sara for advice, especially dating advice.”

 

“She’s got a hot girlfriend, ain’t she?” Charlie points out.

 

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Zari replies, “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean she knows how she actually did that.”

 

“Lesson learned,” Charlie grumbles. She shakes her head and says, “I really should go now.”

 

“What, you don’t want to see my apartment anymore?” Zari teases.

 

“Figured you weren’t interested anymore,” Charlie shrugs, clearly trying to play it cool.

 

“I’m pretty interested in anyone who would stupidly hang off my window ledge just because Sara told them to,” Zari says. She reaches out and squeezes Charlie’s arm. “Get my number from Sara and we’ll plan something, and if you’re lucky, you really will see the inside of my apartment.”

 

“Yeah?” Charlie says, eyes fixed on Zari’s hand on her arm. She looks back up and grins. “I’ll hold you to that, gorgeous.”

 

“That’s what I’m hoping for.”


End file.
